League of Women Voters program well-received; NCCC nursing director awarded

Published
2:00 am EDT, Wednesday, June 29, 2016

LITCHFIELD >> The League of Women Voters of Litchfield announced that its latest project “Food for Thought”, has made a positive impression on the community.

Members and friends are flocking to the brown bag lunch meetings that were developed to keep members informed and involved, while the League filters through community issues and concepts that might require further study.

This month “At Home in Darien” traveled to the Litchfield meeting to explain how their organization helps Darien seniors to live comfortably and independently in their homes.

Their model to meet the community’s needs offers rides to medical appointments, as well as services for home maintenance, sometimes by volunteers, and sometimes from a long list of vetted providers. The organization is funded partially by the United Way, local fund raising and works closely with local social services.

Data from the recent Goshen Planning & Zoning Commission meeting reflects the fact that Goshen is going through a significant demographic shift due to the aging of “baby boomers” (people born between 1945 and 1965).AARP reports that “80% of seniors would prefer to age in place in their current homes.” Martin Connor, P & Z says, if 20 percent of our seniors don’t want to or can’t age in place, we should explore whether we can provide other housing options, i.e. senior housing.”

The median age in Goshen will probably continue to rise as 31% of current households house someone older than 65.

In previous meetings, local organizations including Visiting Nurse Services of CT, Litchfield Community Service and Goshen Community Care & Hospice informed the audience of services they provide in line with the theme of “aging”.

Interest is high in Litchfield County as the population, including a large number of “baby boomers”, hopes to stay in their homes as they age and will require expanded community services to provide care and assistance.

The Litchfield League of Women Voters is a grassroots, nonpartisan political organization of women and men.

NCCC Director of Nursing receives League for Nursing Leadership Award

WINSTED >> Northwestern Connecticut Community College recently announced that Connie Hotchkiss, NCCC Division Director for Nursing, Allied Health, and Veterinary Technology programs, was awarded the 2016 Connecticut League for Nursing Leadership Award at their annual Nursing Leadership Convention.

This award recognizes a nurse who demonstrates outstanding leadership, service, and commitment to the mission of the Connecticut League for Nursing; is recognized as a creative leader who has made a positive difference in the direction of the league; serves as a role model and mentor for future CLN leaders; and has inspired others to become actively engaged in accomplishing the mission of the constituent league.

Hotchkiss has been at NCCC since 2010 and manages the only accelerated nursing program in the Connecticut community college system, helping students and faculty achieve high outcomes in the five years since the program was established.

As her nominating letter stated, “Under Connie’s leadership, dedicated, compassionate, and skilled faculty have thrived as they support students to meet their educational goals and dreams of becoming a nurse.”

In addition, “she is a colleague on whom we can rely for unconditional support, valuable and intelligent perspective while she continuously fulfills the role of student and patient advocate.”

Prior to her position at NCCC, she was an obstetric and pediatrics charge nurse, clinical leader, and educator for over 22 years at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington and Mount Sinai Hospital in Hartford. She received her Bachelors of Nursing from the University of Connecticut and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Hartford.

Hotchkiss currently serves on many committees across the state, including the Connecticut League for Nursing and the Connecticut Nursing Collaborative Action Coalition, working to strengthen nursing education and opportunities throughout Connecticut, and has presented some of the outcomes of NCCC’s nursing program at national conferences.

Last fall, she presented at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing national convention in Florida on an online pilot course targeting Population Health, for incumbent nurses seeking continuing education.